Fastening machine

ABSTRACT

An attachment adapted for mounting on a fastening machine such as a stapling machine, including a movable support adapted to be shifted into close proximity to the head of the stapling machine where the staples are ejected. Clamping means is provided for holding a workpiece against such support, as well as indexing means for indexing the edge of another workpiece superimposed over the workpiece clamped by said clamping means. With the workpiece support proximate the head of the stapling machine, a staple ejected from the machine is forced through the two workpieces and against an anvil surface born by the workpiece support which deflects the staple ends to unite the two workpieces. Another indexing means indexes an edge of the workpiece clamped to the workpiece support, whereby the two workpieces have a predetermined relative position on being stapled.

United States Patent [191 Hamilton 1 Aug. 19, 1975 FASTENING MACHINEPrimary Examiner-Granville Y. Custer, Jr. [75] Inventor: Haldon L.Hamilton, Crescent City, Agent or Flrm KOhsch Hartwell Calif. Dickinson& Stuart [73] Assignee: Hambro Forest Products, Inc., 57 A S C CrescentCity, Calif. An attachment adapted for mounting on a fastening [22]Flled: May 1972 machine such as a stapling machine, including a mov- 2 1APPL 255 5 5 able support adapted to be shifted into close proximity tothe head of the stapling machine where the staples are ejected. Clampingmeans is provided for holding a 521 US. Cl. 227/155 workpiece againstsuch Support, as well as indexing [5 hit. Cl. means for indexing the gof another workpiece [58] Field of Search 227/30, 119, 124, 143,perimposed Over the Wmkpiece clamped by Said 227/144 155 clamping means.With the workpiece support proximate the head of the stapling machine, astaple [56] References C'ted ejected from the machine is forced throughthe two UN D STATES PATENTS workpieces and against an anvil surface bornby the 352.410 11/1886 Howell 227/144 workpiece support which deflectsthe staple ends to 823.721 6/1906 Garden 227/144 unite the twoworkpieces. Another indexing means in- 2.232.0l6 2/l94l Walker 227/l24 Xdexesan edge of the workpiece clamped to the work- 3 4/1943 227/12 piecesupport, whereby the two workpieces have a 3,580,458 5/1971 Monacelli227/124 predetermined relative position on being stapled.

1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures rAsriENiNo MAQIHHNIE This invention relatesto a fastening machine combination, and to an attachment adapted to beincorporated with a fastening machine to produce such combination. Moreparticularly, the invention concerns such an attachment and combinationwhich greatly facilitates the uniting of two workpieces such as twoboards or panels utilizing the fastening machine.

In the building industry and in the making of a floor, it is common tolay down panels, such as plywood or particle board panels, on joistswhich provides support in the floor. Where the edges of two panels abutit has been the practice to prepare a joint by securing a board known asa seam strip against the underside of the panels, with such stripspanning the abutting margins of the panels. As a preliminary step inpreparing such ajoint, the so-called seam strip may be secured againstthe underside of one panel, with such protruding out from the panelsedge to provide a shelf along the edge of the panel. The panel which isto be abutted against this first-mentioned panel is then laid down onthe joists with its edge resting on this shelf. The joint is thencompleted by securing the edge of the second panel to the protrudingunderlying edge of the seam strip.

An object of this invention is to provide novel apparatus for securingtwo boards together, as exemplified by a panel and a strip which issecured against a face of such panel.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for uniting twopieces together, including means for driving a fastener such as a stapleinto the pieces, and a cooperating support for holding the pieces inplace as the fastener is driven into position.

Yet another object is to provide such apparatus where such a support isprovided with means for holding one of the pieces to be joined with suchin a predetermined position on the support.

Yet another object is to provide apparatus for uniting two objects, suchas a seam strip and a panel, with means facilitating placement of theseam strip in a properly oriented position against the underface of thepanel.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become morefully apparent, from a reading of the following specification taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of apparatus as contemplated by the invention,illustrating in dashed outline a conventional power-operated staplingmachine, and in solid outline an attachment for the machine with theattachment in one of its adjusted positions;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. l but showing the attachment in anotherof its positions;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;and

FIG. 4 illustrates in a side view, portions of a modified form ofapparatus according to the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, illustrated generally at is apower-operated stapling machine including a hand grip l2 joining with anupright portion 14 housing a power-operated hammer (not shown) which isactuatable to be driven downwardly to eject a staple from what I havereferred to as a head for the stapling machine shown at 16. Air underpressure for operating the machine is supplied through hose l8. Triggerdisposed under hand grip H2 is squeezed toward the hand grip to produceactuation of the manner.

An attachment for the stapling machine is illustrated in solid outlineand indicated generally at 26. Such is secured to the underside of thestapling machine by a bail member 28 with legs straddling a section 30of the stapling machine. Lower extremities of these legs extend throughaccommodating bores provided in a mounting plate 32 extending along theunderside of section 30. Nuts 34 screwed onto the threaded ends of thelegs in the bail member complete the connection of the attachment.

Projecting downwardly from the underside of plate 32 are a pair ofdepending legs 36 pivotally connected at 38 to an elongated bar 40.,such also being referred to herein as a support. Pivot connection 38accommodates swinging movement of the support 40 about what is normallya horizontal axis extending transversely of the stapling machine, withthe forward end of the support, which is illustrated at the left in thefigures, being movable toward and away from the head 16 of the staplingmachine. In FIG. 1, the support is shown in what I have referred toherein as a loading position. In FIG. 2 the support is shown in astaple-receiving position, the forward end of the support having movedtoward the head of the stapling machine from the position shown in FIG.1, but still being spaced some distance from the stapling machine head.

Movement of the support between its aforementioned two positions isproduced by manipulation of a handle 42. The handle, which is inpositioned to one side of the stapling machine, has its bottom endjoined to a rod 44 journaled in bracket structure 46 joined to the baseof mounting plate 32. Arms 48 joined to and depending from the rod mountat their lower extremities a transversely extending pin 50. This pin orcam means is received within an elongated opening 52 defined on theunderside of a retainer element 54 secured to the rear end of support40. With pivotal movement of the handle, a camming action is produced inthe pin as the same slides along opening 52, operable to shift thesupport between its loading and staple-receiving positions.

Joined to and extending transversely of support 40 forwardly of brackets36 is a shelf element 56 including an upstanding flange 56a. This shelfelement is used to index the edge of a workpiece, exemplified by theboard or so-called seam strip shown at 58.

The apparatus further includes means for releasably clamping such aworkpiece on the support. In the particular embodiment of the inventionillustrated such comprises a pair of keeper arms 60 or clamps overlyingthe support and generally paralleling the support. Such arms have rearextremities mounted on a stub shaft 62 journaled on brackets 36. An ear64 joined to the stub shaft between the brackets extending rearwardly ofthe brackets overlies a coil compression spring 66 exerting an upwardbias on ear 64 in FIGS. 1 and 2, and a downward bias on keeper arms 60.

The forward ends of the keeper arms bend upwardly in regions 60a. Thisfacilitates the sliding of a board such as strip 58 under the arms toplace the edge of such board against the shelf 56. The upwardly bentforward ends also function as another indexing means in the apparatusused in indexing the edge of a panel such as the one shown at 67 towhich the strip 58 is to be attached.

Completing the description of the apparatus, support 40 adjacent itsforward extremity includes an anvil surface 68. This anvil surface withthe support in the staple-receiving position shown in FIG. 2 directlyunderlies the head of the stapling machine and in the path of a stapleejected from such head. The ends of the staple are bent over onimpinging against such anvil surface.

Describing now how the apparatus may be utilized in the securing of aseam strip to the underside of a panel, the strip (which may have alength somewhat less than the spacing between adjacent joists in afloor) is mounted on the apparatus by sliding the same over the supportand under the keeper arms until one edge abuts flange 56a of the shelfelement. With the strip so positioned, the upwardly bent forwardextremities of the keeper arms become located about mid-way between thesides of the strip. This loading of the machine ordinarily is performedwith the support in the loading position shown in FIG. 1.

With the strip loaded on the support, the operator through manipulationof the stapling machine, using hand grip 12, may bring the strip upagainst the underside of a panel such as the panel 67. Prior to thispositioning of the strip a deposit of adhesive may be applied over thetop face of the strip to form a glue line between the strip and panel onthe strip being placed under the panel. When the strip is brought upagainst the underside of the panel, and the edge of the panel ispositioned against the upturned ends of the keeper arms, handle 42 maybe swung to shift the support into its staple-receiving position, withthe edge of the panel and the seam strip now becoming clamped betweenthe head of the stapling machine and support 40, as shown in FIG. Withactuation of the stapling machine, a staple is ejected from the head topass through the panel ,and strip,thus firmly to secure the twoworkpieces together. With removal of the stapling machine andattachment, and with drying of the adhesive, the strip becomes firmlyunited to the underside of the panel.

, It should be obvious that with the apparatus a workman can yeryrapidly place a number of such strips against the edgeof a panel atspaced locations along the floor and between the joists supporting thefloor.

. In FIG. 4, portions of a modified form of the appara- 70. This plateis positioned in a direction extending generally transversely of bar 40in front of legs 36. The indexing plate isjoined to a pair of arms asexemplified by arm 72 shown in FIG. 4 positioned directly laterallyoutwardly of the legs 36 so that arms 72, in effect, straddle the legs.These arms are joumaled at 38 for pivotal movement about an axiscoinciding with the axis about which bar 40 pivots. Biasing the plate 70and keeper arms 60 in a counterclockwise direction in FIG. 4 is spring74 with its rear end seated on a depending lug positioned between thelegs 36.

With the modified form of the invention, a board is indexed on theattachment by bringing its rear edge up against the connecting plate 70.A board so positioned is clamped in place with the arms 60 biased downwardly against the top of the board.

A particular embodiment of the invention has been discussed herein aswell as a modified form of the attachment. It is appreciated that anumber of variations and other modifications of the apparatus willsuggest themselves to those who are skilled in the art. It is desired tocover all such variations and modifications as are embraced within theinvention as the same has been set forth herein.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An attachment for use with a fastening machine including a headadapted to carry a fastener and means for ejecting a fastener from saidhead to drive the same into a workpiece, comprising a mounting adaptedto be secured to said machine,

a workpiece support pivotally carried by said mounting,

means interposed between said mounting and said support for swinging thesupport with respect to said mounting and for holding the support in agiven position with respect to said mounting, said support having ananvil surface which becomes positioned in the path of a fastener ejectedfrom the fastening machine with said support in said given position,indexing means carried by the attachment adjacent said support forindexing the edge of a workpiece on the workpiece support, and clampingmeans for clamping a workpiece on said support with the edge of saidworkpiece indexed by said indexing means, said clamping means comprisinga spring biased arm overlying the support adapted yieldably to clamp aworkpiece between the clamping means and the support, said arm includinga second indexing means for indexing the edge of a second workpiecesuperimposed over the first-mentioned workpiece with said secondworkpiece overlying said anvil surface.

1. An attachment for use with a fastening machine including a headadapted to carry a fastener and means for ejecting a fastener from saidhead to drive the same into a workpiece, comprising a mounting adaptedto be secured to said machine, a workpiece support pivotally carried bysaid mounting, means interposed between said mounting and said supportfor swinging the support with respect to said mounting and for holdingthe support in a given position with respect to said mounting, saidsupport having an anvil surface which becomes positioned in the path ofa fastener ejected from the fastening machine with said support in saidgiven position, indexing means carried by the attachment adjacent saidsupport for indexing the edge of a workpiece on the workpiece support,and clamping means for clamping a workpiece on said support with theedge of said workpiece indexed by said indexing means, said clampingmeans comprising a spring biased arm overlying the support adaptedyieldably to clamp a workpiece between the clamping means and thesupport, said arm including a second indexing means for indexing theedge of a second workpiece superimposed over the first-mentionedworkpiece with said second workpiece overlying said anvil surface.